The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1887-04-06
LITTLE CHARLIE.
! rs ! gloomy hAli.lLghtei attIo.r0on

Not pleasant place TO die In. and per-
haps II vas Just as we'll that poor Phoebe
Wells, In her restless doIirlnm. fancled
herself back inthe orchard
at home.
Meanwhile child OF four years old,
with his round face besmeared with dirt.
and his fiaxen curls tightly matted TO.
gether with neglect. sat colied up Ia
wtAdoWsseat. playing with headgess
wootlsh.hof and singing softly to him
self What did little Charlie know OF
DEATH
Sure. IT'S wahietln' she Il, said enc
Of the women who were sitting Ia the
room; "and enough to tire the patience
OF the blessed saints themselves. s!ttlng
here. Thers's the bit OF q letter she
began q write aud hadn't strongth to
iinish. What shall we do with III"
z Burn 1t. shortly returns Wrinkled
old bag. who was already busy In tariilng
over the slender store OF linen IN The
worn halr-trunk to find something IT.
thug for shroud; '.it's no use 10 any
body now, an she can't spake reasonable
as fowhere 1t ls to go. Yes. yes. honey.
I know" az Phoebe stretched out her
attenuated hands With nlstsul cry o.
..Chariie-you'il take Charlie home"
Sure, an It's that we will, said the
old woman chuckllng. We've got
nothln' else to do. my fine lady an
lots o money to spare. exearsionlng
round the countryi LIE stiii. ueAri"
But still she etied. "Ch4tia--I Charlie
and the younger woman lifted lite little
creature. stu cilnglng to his wooden
horse, on 10 the led. Charlie 0pened
his blue eyes and began to cry.
Mamma, what makes you look 80
stranger"
She drew him 80 close down 10 her
With g shdddsrlng sigh, hts eaeoks
against hers. bis tangled eurls ming.
hing with her dishsveilad black tFesses
"Oh. my baby. cannot 60 and leave
you'll cannot F."
The death.rattle In her throat later
rupted all further attempts at speech.
There were one or two ineoherent muir
murlng sounds that was sll-and SO
poor Phoebe Wells dled.
They took little Charlie away Devil.
dersd and terrified, and dispatched
someone for the "paupers COMA"
which was to enfold the poor creatures
last remains.
.sAe's got no friends said Mrs.
Dennis. san tie but fair. afther all the
should divide the little she's LETT
It's me ought TO have the bits o
clothes an things. said Norah jealousy.
q Neu never Came a.righ her TIL last
two tays."
!. Well. an it's no more than fair.
Eorah, dear said the Irishwoman
smoottiy; AN you goin' 10 be mar
ried III a month. You kape tho clothes,
an welcome, and III have the bit OF
boy; hes just tho child | want for
begglfi. since they took poor little Bar
ncy 0'Toole away, worse luck 10 EN- !!
Come along child, 40 stop that cryin' or
it'll be the worse for yez. Did ye want
a taste o Mother Dennlss strap
Charlie followed his rough guide.
frightened into a trembling silence.
Poor little creaturel II vas well that
he was not old enough 10 realise the tor
Tlble fate now opening before him.
:. Yez wouldn't bciay IL, an him so
young" said Mrs. Dennis tliumphantly.
'.bMt he's the best litter In all the
children See there. bllke Dooley. two
handkechers an 8 snuf.box. let alone
the two apples from tho peddlers stand.
am an ash-box half full Of illlgant
paper-rags. Give him drop O. yer beer,
Mike, an &c shall have baked potaties
an f..SSss .rotters for your supper.
THIS was one OF Charities lucky days.
Sometimes he came home, blue with
cold, pennyless, and without booty OF
any kind and then Mrs. Dennis was
as liberal In the use of the strap, and
what is called 1.-THE rough side OF her
tongue" rs she was IN her rewards.
I'll run away when I'm big enough r.
resolved the little six-year-old hero,
many a night as he lay on his straw
pallet, With haif-ardozen other puny
wretches as miserable as himself,
watching the peaceful stars shining
through tile rafters overhead.
Mrs. Dennis says my mammals
name was Bridget Lanigan, but 1t
wasn't; 1t was Phebel She told mo
so once; and had q wooden-horse
TO play with, and / used TO say my
prayers ut night. can't remember
'em now; and Pat Keelan says they're
all ash--and-and--and-
So little Charlie dropped of TO sleep
as forlorn d little wretch as night
brooded over with her peaceful pro-
tectlng wings Of starry darkness
But Charley did not run away. In
the first place. there was nowhere TO
run to, and Charlie was sufficient OF
conservative to remain quietly when
he was sure OF shelter and daily bread
to eat; not always that however, unless
Mrs. Dennis was In good humor.
Then, child as he was, he felt himself
10 be q sort OF pariah In the outer
world, HE tiny hand against every mans,
and every man 9 against him.
Such was the state OF affairs one De-
cember night. when our little hero came
wailing home With purple cheeks and
chilled fingers and toes, concious that he
had nothing to plead why be should not
be sent supporters TO bed
But. to HIS establishment, Mrs. Dennis
was all motherly affability and Mike
Doolcy himself took him between his
knees in front Of the blazing fire, and
helped TO chafe his hands.
Nike, In general, being as brutal
rufiian as ever came In contact with the
hw, Charlie could not Imagine what II
all meant.
sIt's two old maids OF EN- Twin all
alone, said Mrs. Dennis. resuming the
conversation where 1t had been broken
of at Charles entrance; land there's
closet full Of old plate, an Norah
says Norah cleaned them, yez knows
the staircase windy, openin on the
back street. would let . good-sizcd cat
In between the bars, and whore a cat
can go our Charlie can. Wouldn't yez
like that, Charlie dear, to help crack
crlbr
Charlie stared yacantly into the flre,
and munched his crust OF stale bread.
IAN yell have to do will be to creep
In atween daylight an dark. honey. and
hide away like o mouse, Norah says
there's an illigant place under the
turn o. the back stairs, Just whore
you get In Almost and you can lie
there - stIll ~ kitten until they've
gone to bed, and then, sure, It'll be
aisy 20 steal out and unbolt the base
ment-door, and Mike and NELL be
waitin'; an " We get what we want,
you shall have . brand-new suit OF
clothes, like Mickey Warren's, Wild gould
buttons on livery same"
Charities eyes frightened somewhat.
There you see he's al right" said
Mrs. Dennis, nodding her head triumph
antly at her coadjutor. "Sule It's .
pleas1r are 10 dale Wild the likes OF him
always cheerful and willin'."
oh. stow you barney contsmptu-
ously calculated the less rhetorical
Michael. Whats the use O wordsf II
iicsii 20. he'll 90, and that's the end ont.
Tomorrow night at eleven"
Mrs. Dennis acquicsced.
Tomorrow night. at eleven. Ill be
waiting 1T the corner OF the street Wild